Birchbox Review: November

This month's box was a collaboration with Skinnydip London, an awesome accessories company that I’ve known about for a while. It seemed like a bit of a random pairing, and bar the box design and an add-on phone case and voucher (which you had to spend £22 to redeem anyway) there didn’t seem to be much Skinnydip influence. I was disappointed in the phone case design, as Skinnydip do a lot of really cool, quirky cases - such as this one - but the Birchbox offering was the same shell print as was on the box. I didn’t go for it because you also had to pay a small fee to have it included. The brand did take over Birchbox's Instagram page for a day, which was fun, and the box itself was packed!

(1) Trilogy "Make-Up Be Gone" cleansing balm (RRP: £19.50/800ml + organic cotton cloth)
This was definitely my top product this month. When I lent it to my sister, she loved it so much that I immediately ordered a pot for her Christmas present! I thought it was a little odd that it went on dry skin, but that actually makes it feel more effective when you rub it in. Because the trial size didn’t come with a cloth, I’ve been washing it off with water, which seems to work well. It’s great for removing really stubborn mascara - although you have to remember to do your eyes last, to keep the product getting into them. The only downside is the smell; it kind of reminds me of an old person’s house, but that could just be me!  
Score: 4.5/5
Would I buy this full-size: Yes

(2) Lord & Berry "Silhouette Neutral" lip liner (RRP: £9.00/0.5g)

This turned up at exactly the right time; I’d been considering buying a lip liner since I’d invested in an on-trend ‘berry’ coloured lipstick (this one, in shade 107). So I’d done some reading on which were the best, and actually heard that if you can find one to match your natural lip colour, you don’t need any others. The USP of the Lord & Berry pencil is that it’s transparent, so can be worn with any shade of lipstick you like. Being the first liner I’d used, I suppose I can’t really make the call on how good this was (I’ve got nothing to compare it to!) but my lipstick did last longer than it normally does. Usually I end up looking like I’ve just engaged in a serious make-out session by the end of a night out, but although my colour faded, it looked a lot neater around the edges. I’m looking forward to testing it more. 
Score: 4/5
Would I buy this full-size: Yes

(3) English Laundry “Notting Hill Femme” eau de parfum (RRP: £60.00/50ml)

I don’t invest in perfume a lot because it’s so expensive, and I seem to get through it quite quickly. For the last few years I’ve been loyal to a $14 (£10-ish) bottle of Victoria’s Secret “fragrance mist spray” called ‘Love Spell’ (cherry blossom and peach; I’m a sucker for anything peach). So at sixty quid a bottle, I’d have to really love this to buy it full price! That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. At first I thought it was too musky - a bit Chanel No. 5-esque, which I find too sophisticated-smelling for someone my age - but then this sweet undertone set in. I sprayed it on to write this review, and I seem to pick out a different note every time I smell my arm! I think I’m going to keep it for special occasions. 
Score: 4/5
Would I buy this full-size: Maybe

(4) Cowshed "Cow Pat” moisturising hand cream (RRP: £8.00/50ml)

During the summer, I always forget how bad my hands get during the colder months. It gets really dry and cracked, and I have a terrible habit of pulling at hangnails and the like. Because this is so different to my face (which is oily), I don’t apply hand cream enough, so getting a full-size bottle of this cream gave a good nudge. I haven’t been blown away; the effects don’t seem to last long but at least it’s not too greasy and absorbs quickly. I’m not a big fan of the smell; it’s quite strong. My usual go-to hand cream is Soap & Glory’s ‘Hand Food’, which always gets me in the summer mood because it smells like sun cream!
Score: 3/5
Would I buy this full-size: No

(5) Living proof "Restore Instant Repair" cream (RRP: £25.00/118ml)

I’ve only used this once, and my ends are in such bad condition (which is what three years of bleaching your hair blonde will do) that I doubt anything would make a difference at this point! The cream felt quite heavy to put on, and I think my hair took longer to dry due to this. It smelt good, but at twenty-five pounds for barely more than 100ml, I don’t think I’ll be recommending this to anyone. Having said that, the majority of the online reviews are good!   
Score: 2/5
Would I buy this full-size: No

December's stuff came in the cutest clutch bag, so I'm looking forward to styling that around Christmas!